Politics

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History

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Daggerford was a town that lay along the Shining River on the Sword Coast in the Western Heartlands. It was a walled town with a population of approximately 900, with a number of outlying hamlets, farms, and estates bringing the population to over 2,000. The town was strategically placed along the Trade Way and fortified by the local duke's dwarven-built castle. It was primarily a farming community, but a desire to grow and be seen as an alternative to the northern city Waterdeep caused the town to actively seek craftsmen and artisans. Its streets were unpaved and the buildings were ramshackle in appearance.[3]

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The town took its name from a 400-year-old legend about a boy named Tyndal[4] who fended off a tribe of lizardfolk with only a dagger. The first community was built along the shores of the river at that spot. All the Dukes of Daggerford claimed to be descended from Tyndal. Construction of Castle Daggerford atop the ruined remnants of Morlin Castle began immediately after the fall of the previous Duke of Calandor and the ducal site was relocated from Delimbiyran to Daggerford.[5]

After Illefarn, the Fallen Kingdom of the elves, retreated to Evermeet, the Kingdom of Man controlled the region and Daggerford's environs included all territory bordered on the north by Floshin, on the west by the Lizard Marsh, on the south by Dragonspear Castle, and on the east by the Misty Forest, although that territory was far reduced by the 14th century DR. After the Kingdom of Man was ended by dynastic feuding, the people of Daggerford built a proper town near the shores of Delimbiyr, the Shining River. Eventually, the town and castle were walled in.[citation needed]

Since the founding of the Kingdom of Phalorm in approximately 523 DR by Tyndal "Daggerford" (not his original last name), the town was governed by Dukes through Tyndal's family line until at least the end of the Sundering.[6]

In the 14th century DR, the duke was Pwyll Daggerford, who was often called by the nickname Pwyll Greatshout because of a powerful voice bestowed upon him by a potion.[7]

In addition to the Duke, there was a town militia as well as the Duke's personal guard at the castle to maintain order in Daggerford.[8] After the establishment of guilds, each type of guild was maintained by a Guildmaster, even if it was only a single town representative, to ease trade between cities, eventually forming into the Council of Guilds, many amalgamating into fewer categories by 1485 DR.[9]

Duke Maldwyn Daggerford received his title before the year 1485 DR because of the tradition of primogeniture (with the title passed to the eldest male child), despite clear town opinion being that his elder sister would be more suited to the role.[10]

The Duchess of Daggerford as of 1486 DR was Lady Morwen Daggerford, inheriting the title from her younger brother Maldwyn when the practice of primogeniture was suspended in the town of Daggerford.[9] She visibly looked as though she was in her 20s, but was just shy of middle-aged.[10]

Although there was an active Duke or Duchess, most day-to-day issues were handled by the Council of Guilds. The council felt they had more power than they truly did, meeting in concealing robes with faces covered to emulate the meetings of the Lords of Waterdeep despite their faces being publicly known.[6]